Bearing Capacity to Different Soil Types

The capacity of the soil to allow the loads coming from the foundation is called the bearing
capacity of the soil.
It is essential to know the bearing capacity of the soil before designing the foundation.
Different field tests can determine it. However, standard safe bearing capacity values are
available for different soil types, and these values can be assumed where test data is
limited or speedy construction is required.

Safe Bearing
S.No Type of Soil
Capacity ( kN/m2)

Cohesive Soils

Soft shale, hard or stiff clay in a deep bed, dry

1. 440
state

2. Medium clay readily indented with a thumbnail 245

Moist clay and Sand clay mixture, which can

3. 150
be indented by thumb pressure

Black cotton soil/expansive clay ( 50%

4. 130 to 160
saturated) in the dry state

Soft clay indented with moderate thumb

5. 100
pressure
 Very soft clay which can be penetrated with
6. 50
the thump up to few centimeters

Cohesionless Soil

Compact gravel/sand and gravel mixture with

7. 440
good resistance against penetration of tools

8. Compact and dry coarse sand 440

9. Compact and dry medium sand 245

Loose gravel or sandy gravel mixture, dry

10. 245
state

11. Fine sand and silt ( consists of dry lumps) 150

12. Loose and dry fine sand 100

Rocks

13. Hard rocks such as granite trap, diorite, etc. 3240

Laminated rocks such as sandstone,

14. 1620
limestone, etc.
 Residual deposits of shattered and broken
15. 880
bedrock and hard shale cemented material

16. Soft rocks 440